The Lord Rix, CBE, DL's Biography
- Forename(s)
-
Brian Norman Roger Rix
- Sex
-
Male
- Decorations
-
kt (1986), CBE (1977), DL (Greater London 1987)
- Date of Birth
-
27/1/1924
- Foretitle(s)
-
Baron (Life Peer UK 1992), of Whitehall in the City of Westminster and of Hornsea in Yorkshire; Sir
- Surname
-
RIX
- Style
-
The Lord Rix, CBE, DL
- Recreations
-
cricket, gardening, amateur radio, performs occassional one-man show A Peer Round Whitehall (mainly for Mencap)
The Lord Rix, CBE, DL's Professional Career
- Career
-
WWII RAF and Bevin Boy; professional actor 1942, with White Rose Players Harrogate 1943, actor-manager 1948-77; ran repertory cos at Ilkley, Bridlington and Margate 1948-50, toured Reluctant Heroes and brought to Whitehall Theatre 1950-54, Dry Rot 1954-58, Simple Spymen 1958-61, One for the Pot 1961-64, Chase Me Comrade 1964-66, Stand By Your Bedouin, Uproar in the House and Let Sleeping Wives Lie Garrick Theatre 1967-69, She's Done It Again 1969-70, Don't Just Lie There, Say Something! 1971-73 (filmed 1973), Robinson Crusoe 1973, A Bit Between the Teeth 1974-75, Fringe Benefits 1976-77; entered films 1951 and subsequently made 13 films incl Reluctant Heroes 1951 and Dry Rot 1956; BBC TV contract to present farces on TV 1956-72, first ITV series Men of Affairs 1973, A Roof Over My Head (BBC) 1977; presenter: Let's Go (BBC TV series, first ever for people with a learning disability) 1978-83, BBC Radio 2 Series 1978-80; dir and theatre controller Cooney-Marsh Group 1977-80, chm Playhouse (Whitehall) Ltd 1992-93; memb Arts Cncl 1986-93 (chm Drama Panel, chm Arts and Disability Monitoring Ctee 1986-93); pres MENCAP 1998- (sec gen 1980-87, chm 1988-98); chm: Ind Devpt Cncl for People with Mental Handicap 1981-88, Libertas 1987-2006; tstee Theatre of Comedy 1983-93; pres Friends of Normansfield (chm 1976-2003), hon vice-pres Radio Soc of GB; Vice Lord-Lt Greater London 1988-97; chllr Univ of E London 1997-; fell Humberside Univ 1984; Hon MA: Univ of Hull 1981, Open Univ 1983; Hon DUniv Essex 1984, Hon DSc Univ of Nottingham 1987, Hon Dr Univ of Bradford 2000; Hon LLD: Univ of Manchester 1986, Univ of Dundee 1994, Univ of Exeter 1997; Hon FRSM 1998, Hon FRCPsych 1999 Awards Evian Health Award 1988, RNID Communicator of the year Award 1990, Spectator Campaigner of the Year Award 1999, Yorkshireman of the Year Lifelong Achievement Award 1999, Br Neuroscience Assoc Award for Public Service 2001, Lifetime Achievment Award UK Charity Awards 2001, ePolitix Charity Champions Lifetime Achievement Award 2004
The Lord Rix, CBE, DL's Publications
- Books and Publications
-
My Farce from My Elbow (autobiography, 1975), Farce about Face - A Further Autobiography (1989), Tour de Farce (Touring Theatres and Strolling Players, 1992), Life in the Farce Lane (1995), History of Farce, Gullible's Travails (ed and contrib, 1996), All About Us! (2006)
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